The NATURE episode BLOODY SUCKERS investigates the organisms that live off the blood of others. Some of the organisms are painted as being dangerous and harmful. Others are painted as being beneficial. This presents a quandary for students to explore: Are bloody suckers friend or foe? Applying a problem-based approach, students use what they learn from the program and Web-based research to explore this question and to stage a trial: Their teacher has been accused of being a bloody sucker, and it's the students' job to play the roles of prosecutor, defense, expert witnesses, and jurors. After the trial, students explain why they agree or disagree with the final verdict and the points raised by the prosecution and defense in a one to two page paper.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Identify the characteristics of blood sucking parasites
- Demonstrate an understanding of ecosystem structure
- Organize information and present it by using persuasive arguments
- Speak effectively in a public setting
- Demonstrate the rules and methods of formal debating
Standards
Life Sciences
Standard 6, Level III, Benchmark 1
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=2&StandardID=6
Knows that all individuals of a species that exist together at a given place and time make up a population, and all populations living together and the physical factors with which they interact compose an ecosystem
Standard 6, Level III, Benchmark 3
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=2&StandardID=6
Knows ways in which organisms interact and depend on one another through food chains and food webs in an ecosystem (e.g., producer/consumer, predator/prey, parasite/host, relationships that are mutually beneficial or competitive)
Writing
Standard 1, Level II, Benchmark 7
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=1
Writes expository compositions (e.g., identifies and stays on the topic; develops the topic with simple facts, details, examples, and explanations; excludes extraneous and inappropriate information; uses structures such as cause-and-effect, chronology, similarities and differences; uses several sources of information; provides a concluding statement)
Standard 4, Level II, Benchmark 4
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=4
Uses electronic media to gather information (e.g., databases, Internet, CD-ROM, television shows, cassette recordings, videos, pull-down menus, word searches)
Listening and Speaking
Standard 8: Level II, Level III
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=7&StandardID=8
Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
Technology
Standard 1, Level II, Benchmark 4
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=19&StandardID=1
Knows basic facts about networked computers (e.g., computers can connect to each other via modem and telephone line, or through local network systems, or Internet and intranet)
Standard I, Level III, Benchmark 3
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/Benchmark.asp?SubjectID=19&StandardID=1
Connects via modem to other computer users via the Internet, an online service, or bulletin board system
